It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...

Ok, so I'm not really crying...although I might just start if this baby doesn't come soon. It is my birthday though. Almost. Tomorrow I turn the big 2.9. As in, my last year before the big 3.0. As in, my last 20-something birthday ever. Ah, sigh. Youth. (Okay, I know it's all relative but comm'on, entering a new decade is a big deal, no matter which one it is!) My first 20-something birthday was spent having to watch some string bean cowboy sashay across the dance floor while wiggling his eyebrows at me during my "birthday boot scootin' boogie." Note to self: never ever let friends tell the DJ that it's your birthday: thorough humiliation will always follow.  Thankfully, there's only about a one in a million chance that this baby will actually come out on my bday and that my midwives will channel their inner line dancing divas to celebrate. So unless my water breaks while I'm laying on the couch for about the fiftieth time tomorrow, this birthday should be fairly drama-free. 

Yes, I'm am wearing my princess party hat that my mom brought me last year for my bday. Admit it, you're thoroughly impressed by my coolness right now. Well anywho, let's get to the point of this post, shall we? Birthdays are great opportunities to reflect on life and I've definitely had the time on my hands to do a bit of it (my reflecting face is the bottom right one, you know the one that looks like I'm constipated?). Last summer I was reading a book called One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. Here is a woman who's had a tough road to walk exploring what it means to live joyfully, gratefully, a midst the obnoxious mundane or even 'can I slap something?' moments of life. Everyday, she decided to revel in one thing, big or small, and write it down rather than attempting to focus on all of her blessings. (True confessions, I've always hated the round the table share your blessings time at Thanksgiving meals...yes, please feel free to put me on the heathen list.)

The thing is, if I look back on the past two years of my life, I can confidently say that in one shape or form dissatisfaction has been my persistent and nagging friend. It doesn't matter that I've tried to ditch him along the way, he just keeps coming back. First it was being fed up with living in our last apartment and I just couldn't wait to move to a new place. Then we finally moved but found ourselves dead broke and with only enough mula to furnish the place with some cheap essentials. Now the place is looking a bit spiffier but my life has been put on hold until this baby decides to make her grand entrance into the non-womb world. I am sick. and. tired. of. waiting. But I'm more tired of thinking that joy will be just around the corner. As a Christian, something tells me that I don't have any business thinking like that. Thus I'm going to begin my own thankfulness project in the form of photos. Yes, Instagram, I'm finally going to see what all the fuss is about. Bring it.

My plan is to take one picture every day for the next year. (Oh gosh, did I just commit to that writing?? Scary...) Little things, big things, but only one thing every day. Does one a day sound daunting and undoable? Abso-tutta-fruita-lutely. But I think that's what I need right now to shake me out of my apathetic 'gimme, gimme' attitude that I've got going on with God these days. And no, I won't share all 365 with you...after all I'm hoping you didn't end up putting me on the heathen list and that you still like me. I will do a monthly recap though to give you some of the highlights. My hope is that by narrowing the lens inward I'll be better able to see the outward bigger picture of blessings and present grace in my life. So let the snap happy party begin!